The Shadow of Honor Part 1: Discovery
by Joran
Summary: (Formerly Link Meets His Darkness) Who is Dark Link, really? An evil apparition created by Ganondorf? Or something else? Something unexpected? What will Link find out about his dark reflection and about himself?
1. A New Journey Begins

Link Meets his Darkness

Part 1: Dicovery

_Note: This story explores Dark Link's (from Ocarina of Time) origins and how he is connected to Link. I have created a bit of a surprise as to where Dark Link originates. It is not my theory on his origins, it is simply an idea I thought it would be an interesting twist. Also, I did not put myself in the story, for those of you wondering. I am telling it from the author's point of view and used his name as the author because, again, I thought it would be interesting to have his name there seeing as how he is the one telling the story. One more thing before we continue. This story was in fact posted on another website but it was posted there by me (well, not technically me, the webmistress posted it and I submitted it to her). I am just trying to bring my stories to the eyes of more readers. (The site is called North Castle if you're wondering.) Well, hopefully you will enjoy this._

Chapter 1: A New Journey Begins 

As a young lad in the land of Hyrule, I was used to hearing strange and remarkable tales. Including those of the Hero of Time himself. You may not know this, but, the Hero of Time, the great Link, was once my friend, and still is. I met him in his travels twice. Once, as a young boy. The other as a young man seven years later. Of course because the great Hero of Time sealed the King of Evil, Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm, that second time period never happened and all lost their memory of it. Except, as it was believed, for Link. However, I also remember these events. The reason for this being that I received a shard of the Triforce of Courage from Link. It seemed I was to have a destiny too. My destiny was to save Link from his darkness. When I met Link, apparently, the godess Farore saw my destiny and gave me a shard of the Triforce of Courage without Link's knowledge. Farore wanted me to remember what had happened in this alternate time so I would be able to assist him in his quests of the future. Seven years after the Link replaced the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time and closed the Door of Time, peace and prosperity flourished. Link informed the Royal Family of these future events and they managed to capture Ganondorf as he reached the Temple of Time. Upon receiving the knowledge of what he would do to Hyrule, he was demanded to be put to death at the Arbiter's Grounds. After that, none had heard from him so it was assumed that the King of Evil was indeed dead. However Link was to have another adventure. You see his own evil incarnation, Dark Link, was never truly killed at the bottom of Lake Hylia in the Water Temple. He had survived his defeat at the hands of the real Link. This evil incarnation had vowed vengeance against his conquerer. Or was he an incarnation? The truth would be revealed to Link as he wandered the Kokiri Forest. A discovery was about to be made. As he strode through the forest, a Gerudo man appeared before him. This man was the doppleganger of the King of Thieves.

"No!" Link exclaimed "It can't be! How is it possible? What does it take to defeat you, Ganondorf?"

"No, I am not Ganondorf. However, your eyes do not deceive you. I am another Gerudo male."

"But, that's impossible. Only one man is born every hundred years in the Gerudo tribe."

"Yes, most of the time. However, sometimes we do have rare occurances of two or even three born within the same hundred years. I am his cousin, Fandoron."

"What have you come here for?"

"I have come with a message. Your brother has been sighted in Kakariko Village, attacking innocent people and causing mayhem. I fear he may move onto Goron City next. You must go and stop him, Link. I am asking you from a good heart. I do not possess the same evil as my cousin. What a horrible thing it was to serve him."

" It must have been. Thank you for the-" he suddenly stopped. "I'm sorry, Fandoron. Who did you say was attacking Kakariko?"

" Your brother, Link. Why do you ask?"

"Because I don't have a brother."

"Oh dear. I didn't realize you had no prior knowledge. Sorry to have troubled you, Link. Goodbye." At that point, he turned and ran out of the forest.

"Wait, Fandoron! Come back! What are you talking about?" But Fandoron was gone. Link was suddenly unable to think of what to do. He had a brother? And an evil brother at that? He stood there, trying to think of what to do next. He suddenly made a decision that he would come and see me in the little-known village of Verul. He decided to talk to me instead of Saria or Zelda because he knew I was the only other person who knew of how the future had happened before he saved Hyrule, and deduced that I would perhaps have knowledge of what Fandoron had said. In fact, I did. I had a bit of a confrontation with Fandoron, so much did he look like Ganondorf. He explained to me who he was and also told something alarming about the Hero of Time and his family history. I had not seen Link in over two months and was eager to tell him this grave secret. This was something that he needed to know. I heard a knock on my door. I opened it. Link was standing there, clearly distraught from his meeting with Fandoron."Link, it's good to see you. Please, come in."

"Joran, I need to talk to you."

"About what?" I already guessed, but I had to make sure. "Well, I met a Gerudo who claims to be Ganondorf's cousin. He, yes _he_**, **told me that my brother has attacked Kakariko and may attack Goron City next. How is ths possible? Why didn't I know about this before? Is he even telling the truth?"

" Link, Fandoron was indeed telling the truth. I had an encounter with him as well. Somehow, you came up as a subject of our conversation. He told me all about what happened to you and why it happened. It seems Ganondorf had something to do with this. And, why you didn't know this earlier is because your brother is someone you would never expect. You have met him, and your encounter with him is not a good memory. This is what happened."


	2. The Dark Tale

**Chapter 2: The Dark Tale**

We must travel back to a time when Link and I were mere infants. A woman went fleeing through Hyrule Field on horseback, desperately trying to make it to the Kokiri Forest before the Gerudo thieves caught her. She was carrying an infant along with her. This was Link.

She was fleeing to bring her son to a safe place. However, a tragedy had already befallen her. A band of Gerudo thieves had raided her village called Kiuro, and had kidnapped most of the infant sons of the villagers. One of them was Link's twin brother, Olan. She narrowly escaped the village with Link, feeling so much devastation and remorse at having to leave her other child.

The Gerudos had been ordered to kidnap every son, of every family, in every village in Hyrule, from newborns up to those of ten years old. They were ordered to do this by their King, Ganondorf. This was a time before Ganondorf swore allegiance to the King of Hyrule. He had planned to recruit young men of each race and brainwash them to his command. He wished to train them as spies to infiltrate each race and assassinate their leaders and take over.

Then, he would take over from there and he would declare himself the King of Hyrule and demand the abdication of the Royal Family. Upon achieving this, he would spread his evil across the land and turn Hyrule into a land of corruption and deceit. Link's mother had left him in the care of the Kokiri, knowing that they could keep him safe. When she tried to reach Hyrule Castle in an attempt to tell the King of what had transpired, she was caught and killed by that same band of Gerudos.

Over the coming months, the other races of Hyrule, excluding the Kokiri, declared war on the Gerudos and attacked. They took their sons back. After this, he blamed the whole scheme on his second-in-command, Saborna, and claimed to have been held hostage at her mercy.

He claimed treason and killed anyone who protested and called him a liar.

Saborna was exiled and captured by the Hylian Honor Guard. She was thrown in the dungeon and spent the rest of her days rotting in Hyrule Castle's dungeon.

Ganondorf then swore his allegiance to the King in order to, as he claimed, keep anything like this ever happening again, to bring peace and trust amongst the races of Hyrule. The King accepted this and that was the end of it. Everyone else thought so, anyway.

Ganondorf kept a secret from everyone except for his closest Gerudo Generals. He still had a young Hylian, Olan, under his control. He planned to raise him as his new second-in-command. Several years later, when he encountered Link for the first time, he saw how he bore such a striking resemblance of Olan. He searched through the old records his now deceased band of Gerudos had made, and found out that Olan and Link were brothers, and that Link had escaped from their clutches thanks to his mother.

When he met Link the second time, Ganondorf saw how much trouble he was going to be. It was then that he began Olan's true transformation. He brainwashed Olan with his evil power, causing him to believe that he himself was evil. He trained Olan as an expert swordsman and Olan learned quickly. He knew when to anticipate his opponent's moves and even learned how to mimic his opponents perfectly. At this point, Ganondorf decided a change of appearance was in order.

With his evil power, he gave Olan his black tunic, turned his skin to match the colour of his tunic and gave him glowing red eyes. After that was finished Ganondorf smiled and said "now, my creation, your task is to defeat that kid, Link. You are his evil side. You are his living shadow. From this day forth, let you be called Dark Link!" After obtaining the Triforce of Power, Ganondorf gave Dark Link some of the massive amounts of power that filled him when he obtained the Triforce. He then sent him to the Water Temple at the bottom of Lake Hylia to wait for Link. There, he would ambush the hero and defeat him so that Ganondorf would be able to finally capture his dream and rule Hyrule forever.

"There it is, Link" I concluded "that is who Fandoron was talking to you about. Dark Link is your brother, Olan. He has returned from the depths of the Water Temple for vengeance."

Link sat there, speechless and completely stunned. This was all too much. His own brother was whom he fought within the Water Temple. All this time, he believed Dark Link had been created from the shadows themselves. He was struck with guilt and remorse. He had nearly killed his own brother.

"Are you all right, Link?"

He sat there, still unable to speak. Finally, after a long silence he said

"Yes, Joran. I'm fine. It's just a little shocking is all."

He looked up at me and I could see the guilt that now plagued his heart.

"Link, you don't have anything to feel bad about. What you did was necessary. If you hadn't beaten him, you wouldn't be here now, nor would any of us. It had to be done."

"You are right, Joran. But it doesn't change the fact that I nearly killed the only family I have left."

"Link, stop it. Dark Link is not your family. He has long been turned and even if he knew, he wouldn't think twice about killing you."

"How do you know so much about him?"

"From Fandoron, remember? He told me more than just what transpired with Ganondorf and your brother. He told me what he was like, too."

"Did he tell you what he was like before Ganondorf turned him?"

"No, unfortunately. I would imagine, though, that he was a lot like you."

Link sat silently again after that. Not knowing what to say at that point. After another long silence, he spoke again.

"Did Fandoron serve under Ganondorf or did he go into exile?"

"Why, Link? Why does that matter?"

"I'm just curious. He seemed to be good-hearted but also seemed very regretful. As if he feels guilty for past actions."

At this, I felt my anger rise. Fandoron had told me of some the crimes he committed.

"Fandoron served Ganondorf as one of his many minions. I dare not speak of some of the travesties he committed. He told me that he knew there was a better way, but did not want to upset his cousin, which for him meant death. That coward. After committing such evil deeds, he then went into exile. After they executed Ganondorf, he came out of exile and the Gerudo praised him for returning and made him their new king."

"I see. I wouldn't call what he did cowardly. He was just caught in family loyalties. He wanted to please Ganondorf, but felt bad for what he did and decided to hide away. He had no other choice. In a way, what he did is rather admirable."

"Admirable? Link, listen to yourself! What he did was cowardly. He should have done the right thing and fought Ganondorf. That would've been admirable."

"Everyone makes mistakes. Fandoron did the only thing he could for making up for his crimes. Stop. If he had tried to fight Ganondorf, he would have destroyed Fandoron and it would have been all for not. And you know that."

It was no use arguing with him. I knew Link was right. He always had a much kinder and forgiving heart than me.

I am not evil. But neither am I kind. I have always fought for good but I didn't really need to make friends doing it. I was glad to have befriended the great Link though. He was one I could trust.

"Well, Joran. It's time I got to the real reason I came here. I have come to ask for your assistance. Fighting Dark Link will be no easy task. No doubt, with the Triforce's power, he remembers everything from that alternate future. Including how to fight me, and defeat me. He may have also managed to get some of his own help. Together, we can ride to Death Mountain and stop him."

"Well, there is a problem with that, Link. I'd be glad to help you. I am well trained in the art of the sword but, my riding skills are terribly, well, poor I guess you could say."

"That's all right, Joran. I know a girl who could teach you. She is quite handy with such things. I'm sure you'll like her, too. By the way, thank you for joining me in this fight, Joran."

I nodded and followed him outside.

"Climb on Epona for now. I'm sure she won't mind an extra passenger." I climbed up onto Epona's back and we rode out to the east.


	3. The Ranch

Chapter 3: The Ranch

Upon arriving at the ranch, we dismounted Epona and we walked toward the entrance. "Welcome to Lon Lon Ranch, Joran."

"It certainly is a beautiful looking place" I replied. Link then suddenly drew the sword at his back and showed it to me The blade was a shimmering green, with a handle of gold and a Triforce emblem on the hilt. "Where did you get this?' I asked, in awe of the beautiful thing. "There was an amazing blacksmith in Kakariko who crafted this for me. He is legendary. Some say he may have helped forge the Master Sword itself."

"That's amazing! He certainly is a fine blacksmith. What an wonderful job he did on that!" I was still staring at it. The sword seemed to resonate with power and certainly had a divine aura about it. "This blacksmith has a name for this sword. He called it the Sword of Courage."

"The name suits it, and you, Link." He sheathed his sword and we walked through the gate up to the ranch. On the left was the stables where the livestock and horses were kept, and on the left, the living quarters of the people who lived there. "I hope they're home" Link said. He knocked on the wooden door of the dwelling and waited for a response. The door opened and a girl of our age stood there. "Link?" she said, upon seeing the hero standing before her. "Yes, Malon. It's me."

"Hi, Link! It's good to see you. Who is this?" she asked, turning to me.

"It's good to see you too, Malon. This is my friend Joran."

"Hello, Joran. Nice to meet you." I found myself unable to speak. I shook her hand and felt my heart quicken. Her beauty could not be described on words and I lost my voice for the moment. "Are you all right?" she asked, when I didn't reply. "Yes... I'm fine. It's nice to meet you" I said, my voice cracking as I spoke. My face began to turn hot and I knew by her expression that my face was as red as her hair. "What's the matter, Joran?"

"Don't worry, Malon" he said, turning and winking at me. "He's just not exactly a people person. He doesn't do well with meeting others."

"Oh. Don't be nervous, Joran. We're good people here."

"Oh..uh..thank you."

"Can I offer you guys, anything?"

"Could, you bring me some Lon Lon milk? I haven't had any in ages." said Link. "All right. How about you, Joran?" "No, thanks."

"Okay, then. I'll be back with your milk, Link." With that she left the room, and I finally managed to relax. "So" said Link, smiling. "You're quite taken with her, eh?"

"No." I lied "I'm just a little uncomfortable, that's all."

"Come off it, Joran. You're in love." I couldn't argue with him. As always, he was right. Malon was the first girl I ever felt any affection for. "Here you are, Link." Malon said as she re-entered the room. "Thank you. I just _love_ this milk." Link said,mockingly, toward me. "What are you doing, Link?" Malon asked. "Oh, I'm simply declaring my _love_, for this milk." I felt my face begin to flush, so I pretended to rub my eyes. "So, anyway" Malon began "what brings you boys here?" she asked.

"Well Malon, Joran here is rather inadequate with his equestrian skills."

"I see. Go on, Link" she said, looking at me with her kind eyes.

"Well, I need to ask a favour of you. Would you teach Joran how to ride a horse?"

"Well, certainly. To help you and your kind friend here would be my pleasure. But, just out of curiosity, why do you need to do this?"

"We are heading out to do some exploring and advenrturing, Malon. Joran needs to be able to keep up with me."

At that time, a stalky, balding man in his late-thirties entered the room. He wore a thick moustache across his face, attaching to sideburns on his cheeks. "Hey there, Mally, what's going on?" He took a look around the room and spotted Link first. "Hello, there Link! How are you?"

"I'm just fine, thanks." Talon saw me fidget out of the corner of his eye and immediately looked in my direction. "Hello, there. Who are you, might I ask?"

"Father, this is Joran. He is a good friend of Link's."

"Well, any friend of Link's is welcome on my ranch. Pleasure meeting you, Joran."

"Thank you, sir."

"Oh, don't call me sir, son. Name's Talon."

"Nice to meet you, Talon."

"I'm glad to see you're getting more comfortable, Joran." Malon said.

"Yes. You are very kind, Malon."

"Thank you. So father, would you like to help me teach Joran how to ride a horse?"

"Of course I would. I'd love to help a young man become aquainted with a horse. I've got just the horse for you. His name's Honor. I think he fits you well. Come out to the stable to see him." Talon and I went out to the stable to see the horse I would be riding and caring for throughout our adventure. Link and Malon were talking inside. "I like your friend. He seems strong, and brave. Like you, only less forgiving. He really seems nervous around me, though, and I can tell that that doesn't happen ever."

"Yes. He is a hard one. But, he's really rather taken by you, Malon. I can see it in his eyes. And I can tell you, as long as I've known him, he's never been one to like anyone. I think you're probably the second person he's ever taken a liking to. Since his family was killed, anyway."

"His family was killed? He has no one?." Link shook his head no. My entire family, parents, siblings, grandparents, you name it. They were all killed during the Gerudo raids. I grew up never knowing my family, and was raised by a farmer, who was not unlike Talon. "Don't mention it to him, though. He hates it when anyone takes pity on him. He sees it as someone exposing a weakness in him." Malon nodded and then she and Link headed out the door to the stable.


	4. Confrontation

**Chapter 4: Confrontation**

About a week later, thanks to the good teachings of Talon and Malon, I was really getting the hang of horseback riding. Honor was a beautiful black stallion. He was a magnificent horse with unbelievable strength. Malon and I were forming a bond as well. Talon saw it, too. One day, while I was feeding Honor, he came over to talk to me. "Hi there, Joran."

"Hello Talon. I was just feeding Honor. I've really taken a liking to him."

"That's good. But he's not the only one you've taken a liking to, is he?"

"What do you mean?" I said, a little nervously. I didn't want to start a conflict with Talon over my falling for his daughter. "Don't worry, Joran. I know how you feel about Malon. She is very sweet. I just want to tell you that you're perfect for her." I was incrediblly flattered. "Thank you, sir. I mean, Talon." Talon smiled and then walked slowly away. I continued to brush Honor when the ranch hand walked past me, grumbling about doing all the work around here and so on. I was pretty used to his arrogance and complaining by now. I really had a strong dislike for him, and felt like he was a dangerous man. His name was Ingo. I turned to look at him and he looked at me. "What are you looking at?" he barked. I wanted so bad to retort back with an insult, but with Malon nearby, I couldn't. I just had to make a good impression with her. "Nothing, sir" I said, quietly.

"That's what I thought." He then stomped his way over to the chicken coop and began spreading seeds to feed them, grumbling the whole time. I turned back to Honor to brush him again when I saw Malon walk past. She stopped in front of me and said "Hello, Joran."

"Hello, Malon. Fine day isn't it?"

"Yes, it is." She then paused. "You know" she continued "you don't have to take that from him, you know. I certainly don't. I always say something back to him, and he really hates it when you do that. He pretty much leaves me alone, now."

"Ordinarily Malon, I wouldn't. But, I don't want you to get the wrong impression of me. I don't want you to think of me as a mean person."

"I know you're not a mean person, Joran. It's okay if you do say something back to him. Don't take it, anymore. Not for me. Don't let him push you around for your own sake."

"Very well, Malon. If he does it again, though, please cover your ears. I don't want you to hear." She giggled at this, and the turned and walked away. As she walked, she turned back to look at me and didn't watch where she was going. Ingo was walking in the opposite direction with a pail of milk. She turned and walked straight into him, spilling the milk on him. He instantly grew furious and roughly grabbed her arm.

"You little wench! I can't do one thing around here without you getting in the way!"

I felt rage boil inside me at seeing Ingo manhandle a girl like that. I ran over to them and grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away from Malon. "Don't you touch her, Ingo! You hear me? It wasn't her fault! It's your own fault for being so ignorant that you can't see three feet in front of you! I swear by Din that if you ever do something like that again, I'll ensure that you don't leave here without an injury. Do you understand?"

I saw the genuine fear in his eyes and for a few moments, he couldn't speak. Finally, the words came from his mouth.

"Y-y-yes, Joran. It won't happen again. Honest." I let go of his arm and he scrambled away. I suddenly felt three pairs of eyes fall upon me. Only one of those looks mattered to me at the moment. My violent outburst must have made Malon hate me. She mustn't be able to stand the sight of me. Instead of horror on her eyes, I saw adoration and thankfulness.

"Joran, that was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. I'm glad you finally stood up to him." I looked into her eyes and was in awe of the beauty they withheld. Talon looked upon me proudly and with satisfaction. He has now made a decision, though. After our confrontation, he decided one of us needed to leave, for good. "Joran, Ingo, would you come and see me please." Malon turned to her father with pleading eyes.

"Father, please don't yell at Joran. He did it to protect me."

"Now Malon, I can't have conflict within my ranch. One of these guys has to go. Permanently." Ingo looked smug and turned to me and said "Nice knowing ya, jerk. Guess you're on your way out. It's about time. You don't even lift a finger around here. You know, if I were running things you wouldn't even have-"

"Ingo. That's enough. My decision is made. I'm sorry." I looked up, fully expecting him to be looking at me, only to notice him looking squarely at Ingo. "Me?" he said, incredulous. "Why me? Without me, this place will fall apart!"

"Without you, we'll finally be free of constant complaining and trouble-stirring. You are the source of conflict. And the fact that you would be willing to harm my daughter has sealed the deal. Pack up and be gone in three hours. If you're not, Joran, Link and I will see to it that you leave in a hurry." Ingo opened his mouth to protest, but could think of nothing valid to say. He also didn't like the prospect of facing all three of us if he didn't leave. He stormed off to his quarters and, not two minutes later, came out with his bag and walked angrily out the entrance to the ranch.

"I'm sure glad the cancer is gone" said Talon.

Not long after, Link approached me. "Say, Joran, how about we do a little sparring. We could use the practice."

"Sure thing, Link. I'll get my sword." I had brought an old, worn-looking sword with me from my home in Verul. When I came back, Link had already drawn the Sword of Courage. "Enguarde, you swine." Link said,jokingly.

"Come at me then. Or are you a coward?" I joked back.

"Coward, eh? I'll show you." With that he took a swing with his sword, which I managed to block. He came at me again, but I dodged him and leapt, sword raised. I brought it down toward him, not full force, of course, and missed as he dodged my attack. He quickly spun round and tripped me with his foot. I dropped my sword and before I could reach it, I saw the tip of the beautiful Sword of Courage in my face.

"Yield, foe."

"Never!" I quickly grabbed my sword and jumped out of the way of Link's slice. I then decided to try one of his techniques. I faked to the left, rolled around him to the right and jumped up direectly behind him, swung my sword and stopped just before his neck.

"Drop your weapon." Link was impressed but, of course, did nothing of the kind, swung his blade, and knocked mine several yards away. He once again pointed his sword toward me. "So, fiend" Link joked "do you concede defeat?"

"Yes, oh mighty conquerer. You are the victor." I said in mock. Link then sheathed his sword and I retrieved mine. "You always have been the better swordsman, Link."

"I don't know, Joran. You had me going for a second there." We walked back to the house together, laughing and joking about the practice fight we just had. Malon was waiting for us at the door. "Hi there, you two. I watched your little practice. You're really good, Joran. I knew Link was a good fighter, but I didn't know you were his equal." I was absolutely honored that she said I was as good a swordsman as the great Hero of Time. "I'm honored that you said that Malon, but Link is clearly better than I am."

"Would you come with me, Joran? I'd like to give you something." I followed her into the house and up the stairs into her room. She walked over to a chest and opened it. She took out a sword in its sheath and presented it to me."Joran, this sword was made by my grandfather. He was a blacksmith. He told my father that he should give the sword only to the person he knew was right for it. My father then passed this reponsibility on to me. I thought about giving this sword to Link, but he didn'e seem right for it. You, Joran, are right for this sword. Take it and keep it as your own." I took the sword and unsheathed it. It was almost as beautiful as Link's Sword of Courage. The blade was a shining gold. The handle was three different colours. The hilt was red, for the goddess, Din. The grip was green for the goddess, Farore. And the butt end of the handle was blue for the goddess, Nayru.

"Malon, I don't know what to say. Thank you. This is a true honor and privilege. I will use it well." I sheathed it again and attached the sheath to my belt. " I hope this sword guides and protects you through you're journey." She then gave me a warm smile, which I returned. We both went back outside where Link was waiting for us.

"So, Joran. Are you ready to go?" I really didn't want to leave Malon, but I did make a promise to Link. " Yes, Link. We should get going."

"Already?" said a disappointed voice behind me. It was Malon. "I was really enjoying your company." She meant to say it to both of us, but was looking at me. " I enjoy your company also, Malon. We will come back when we're finished."

"I do hope so." Talon then came wandering over. Link had already told him we were leaving.

"Goodbye Link and Joran. You guys be careful, all right?"

"Sure thing, Talon" said Link. "Goodbye. Goodbye to you as well, Malon."

"Good bye, Link." She gave him a hug. He then mounted Epona and said to me "I'll wait for you at the gate." He then rode Epona out to the gates of Lon Lon ranch. I turned to Talon and said "Goodbye, 've been very kind."

"Goodbye, Joran. Come back and visit, will you? And stop calling me sir."

"I'll try." I then turned to Malon. "Goodbye Joran. I'll miss you."

"I'll...miss you as well, Malon. Goodbye." I then mounted Honor and rode off toward Link, without once looking back. I could feel Malon watching me, though. As I reached Link and Epona I said "Come on. I'll take the lead this time. I've got to get my armour and shield from Verul. You should find a better shield, too."

"All right, Joran. But, if you want to lead, which way will you go?" I saw his point. I had never really travelled that much so I couldn't remember which way to go. "Very well, Link. You've made your point. Lead on." He then snapped Epona's reins and I did the same wih Honor and we rode off to the west toward my village.


	5. Spread of Evil

**Chapter 5: Spread of Evil**

In the heart of Death Mountain, a young man stands, admiring the red hot fury of the crater."Magnificent" was all he said. Suddenly, he heard a sound behind him. "Who's there?" he challenged."Show yourself, or feel my wrath" he said, in a cold, hard tone. The person stepped out. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" This man was older than him, around his mid-thirties. He was clad in shining black armour with a large blade on his back. "My name is Toro Beldar. I am a former knight to the king of Hyrule. I protected him for the last 9 years of my life. He cast me away for simply getting rid of his lesser men. I've come to join you, great evil one."

"Really? You? As a former knight, I should declare you my enemy. Get out of my sight, now, before I spill your blood upon this great altar of evil,"

"Please, great one. You can trust me. I once sought the friendship of the great Ganondorf."

"You know of my master? Very well, Toro Beldar. You can serve by my side." He thought a minion would serve his purpose for the time being, but he would do way with him in the end.

"Thank you, evil master. Might I ask your name?"

"I am Dark Link. I will destroy the one who destroyed me and his land he cherishes."

"Of whom are you speaking, sir?"

"Link. My other side. He stands for good. He defeated me at the Water Temple. I will destroy him." Olan was almost in a rage simply speaking of Link. "Yes great Dark Link. We will defeat him, together." Olan was mightily pleased to have someone join him in his quest to destroy Link. Dark Link suddenly had a flashback, which was something that happened to him quite frequently. He could see his mother, smiling lovingly at him. And his twin brother, gazing toward him, happily. Then, all he could remember was shouting, fighting, and being carried off by unfamiliar hands, crying for his mother. He could here his mother crying desperatly"Olan! Olan, no!" He could feel hate burn inside him. Why had she abandoned him? Her and his brother. "Yes. I'll get them too, someday. They left me. I'll get you, mother and brother. You'll not forget about Olan."

"Who, sir?" Toro had been watching him, and heard what he said. "Nothing, Toro. Leave me. I've planning to do."

"Of course, master." With that, Toro left, leaving Dark Link to contemplate his mext move. He suddenly thought of something. "The Kokiri. Yes. They're just children. They won't put up much of a fight. Maybe by attacking them, I'll draw out the Hero of Time and finally vanquish him." Olan smiled an evil smile at the thought of more killing. "Toro." "Yes, evil one?" "We will leave tonight. Our destination, Kokiri Forest. We shall attack in the morning."

"Yes, sir." Dark Link and Toro then started down Death Mountain and proceeded toward Kokiri Forest.

After retrieving my Hylian shield and old battle uniform, we headed to the Gerudo Valley to see if we could get Link a better shield from somewhere within the valley. We were quite a sight. We turned some heads in the valley. I, riding my beautiful black stallion, clad in my uniform consisting of a red, green and blue metal chest plate, red and brown tunic, and, to top it off, a flowing green cape. Link wearing his traditional Kokiri tunic, riding his beautiful horse, we looked like we could take on the world.

As we raced across the Haunted Wasteland, and neared the desert Colossus, I began to slow. I caught sight of Nabooru, the Sage of Spirit. Only the previous month, her and I had a confrontation. She had stolen some valuables from my kindly old neighbour in Verul, roughing him up in the process. I chased her down and got the man's valuables back. She swore revenge. Somewhere inside me, I knew she was kind-hearted, but I refused to look past the fact that she was a thief. It was indeed a mistake on my part. We reached her and Link gave her a greeting. "Hello there, Nabooru. Nice to see you."

"Hey, kid. It's good to see you-" she suddenly stopped. Her eyes burned like fire when she saw me. "You! Get out of here. You are an enemy."

"Then as your enemy, I shall fight." I said, agressively.

" You dare challenge me? I'll show you the true meaning of pain!."

"Nabooru, Joran, stop it! There's no need for this. You two should make a truce for now until I find a shield." We looked at each other and then back at Link. "Fine" we said, together. We stood there silently for a while until Link finally spoke. "Nabooru?"

"What is it, Link?"

"Do you happen to know what happened to that Mirror Shield I had?"

"Yes. I happen to have it just inside the Spirit Temple. Wait here." She went in the temple and returned a few moments later with the shield. "Do you need it?"

"Well, yes. It's much better than the one I've got now."

"I'll say. I could break that with my hand."

"Yeah. I was hoping Joran and I wouldn't have to go fight while I-"

"You? Allied with _him_? If he needs you to have it, then you can have it at a price."

"Hey! You agreed to a truce!"

"Yes, well, I am still a thief. Sage or no sage."

"That's it, Nabooru!" I cried. I had had enough. "You will give Link that shield _now,_ or I will kill you myself!"

"Did you just threaten me?"

"You're damned right I did." I drew my sword. "Face me, filthy criminal! I'll show you what cowards you Gerudos are!" I could tell that this infuriated Nabooru. She was speechless with rage. "You people are no better than Ganondorf. He was a perfect king for you dirty, rotten scum!" Link and Nabooru both stared at me. One in shock, the other with fury.

"I'll kill you, bastard!" She drew her blade and leapt at me, but I moved quickly away. Link had told me how to fight the Gerudos, so I knew all of her tricks. She leapt at me, again. I dodged out of the way and pushed my hand against her back, sending her sprawling and her blade ten yards away. I then stepped on her chest and pointed my sword in her face.

"Give Link the Mirror Shield, or die." At this she spat in my face. I was about to strike when I saw that beautiful shimmer of green flash in front of my eyes. My sword stopped in mid-air. I heard the 'clang' of metal on metal. Link had blocked my strike.

"Joran, it's not worth it. If you kill her, you'll be joining the evil side. She is a sage, and the gods will frown upon you and curse you for the rest of your days." I stood still for a moment, then sheathed my sword and turned away. I mounted Honor and rode a few hundred metres away. I could see Link talking to Nabooru, and then, finally, she gave him the Mirror Shield. Link then came riding over to me.

" I'm sorry, Link. I don't know what came over me. I just felt so angry at what she did to my village."

"That's all right, Joran. She's always been like that. She isn't evil, though. You must know that." I did know. "She said to apologize to you for what happend to your village. She wants your forgiveness." I shouted out to her

"Apology accepted!" I saw her wave at me as a sign that she heard me. We still may not like each other, but Nabooru and I now had respect for one another. I looked to the horizon and saw a figure running towards us. I turned to Link and said, "Link, do you see that?"

"I do, Joran. They're headed straight for us." We looked a little longer and then caught a glimpse of her hair and clothing colour. All of it green. "It's Saria!" He snapped Epona's reins and we took off at full gallop toward her. As we reached her, Link called. "What's wrong, Saria?

"Two men attacked the forest. Seven of us are dead! I managed to escape with only this cut."

"What did these men look like?"

" One was very dark and had glowing red eyes." Link and I knew right away who she was talking about. "The other was older and taller. He had black armour and used a Royal Shield."

"Did you get that man's name?" I had to ask, because I needed to know who we were up against."I'm not really sure, but I heard the younger one call him 'Toro'."

"Toro?" I had met Toro Beldar. before. I used to serve the king, though not as a soldier, and had met him several times. His dark behaviour always concerned me and I was relieved when he was banished from the castle. "Link, I know who that man is. It's Toro Beldar. He was a former soldier of the king. I guess he did join evil after all."

" Come on, Joran. We'll make them pay for this." He scooped up Saria and held her on Epona as we rode away. we were off to not only get Saria medical care, but find Olan and Toro and fight them until justice was served.


	6. The Battle

**Chapter 6: The Battle**

As Link and I raced toward the forest,, Dark Link and Toro had already left and were heading towards Death Mountain. " He's coming" Olan said to Toro. "How can you tell?" Toro asked. "Him and I are of the same mind. I am his dark side, after all." Olan didn't know it, but he was actually partially right. Ganondorf had used part of the power he gave to Dark Link and created a mental link between the two. It only worked one way, however. "Wait" Olan said, suddenly. "What is it, evil one?"

"He has someone with him. I see a name. Joran."

"Joran? That foolish child? He's but a mere teenager, just like Link."

"How do you know of him?"

" He used to carry out quests for the king. He never trusted me, and was always so unfriendly and cold. I almost took a liking to him. He really looked up to that vain, foolish king, though. That's when I knew he and I would never be allies. He shall meet his end as well."

"Yes, Toro. Especially someone allied with the Hero of Time." They spoke no more after that. When Link and I got to Kokiri Forest, we were shocked at the sight. Almost every building was burnt down, including Link's house. The bodies of the Kokiri who had died were still strewn about. "What have they done?" I asked in anger. Link wasn't listening to me, though. I saw him heading towards a bush that seemed to be moving. I followed Link over to it and suddenly saw a boy stumble out of the bush. It was Mido. When I reached Link's side, I heard Mido talking "You coward, Link. You ran away when you should have been here to fight with the rest of us. You're really no good for anything." I came to Link's defence before he could even open his mouth. "Coward? The Hero of Time, a coward? You're very wrong, stupid boy. Link is the bravest man I've ever known."

"He's not a man. He still in his teens. And who are you, anyway, calling the great Mido stupid? You're probably a coward, too."

"Oh? And I suppose you're braver than I by sitting and hiding in a bush, weeping like a lost lamb. It seems you're the coward around here."

_"Me? A coward?_ One more crack like that and I'll knock you're lights out."

"I'd love to see you try, little boy." I knew calling him 'little boy' infuriated him. Link, however, stepped in."That's enough, Joran. We came here to help, not cause trouble. And Mido, I'm sorry I wasn't here, but you have to understand that I didn't run away from the danger. I was recruiting Joran's help so we could fight those attackers toghether."

"Yeah right. You're excuses were always so lame, Link. Leave this forest, now. You're a disgrace." With that Mido walked back to his house. "You really shouldn't have to take that, Link" I said. "Oh, it's no big deal. He's been like that ever since I was a kid. All of them have tough time accepting me. Now Joran, we must find out where they went." He asked everyone in the forest, but they were too bewildered and distraught to give him a straight answer. He suddenly spotted footprints on the ground. "Look, Joran. These tracks lead out of the forest. It must be them!" We followed them and, sure enough, we saw they lead right toward Death Mountain. "That's where they must be. Come on, Let's go." We mounted Epona and Honor and galloped straight toward Death Mountain. The battle was about to begin.

Link and I raced toward Death Moutain, not knowing that we had fallen for a trick laid out for us. The tracks we were following stopped and vanished just before the Death Mountain Trail. "What? The tracks, they're gone!" Link said, shocked. He suddenly heard a voice in his head. 'Hello, Link. I am finally powerful enough to speak directly to you. You've fallen for our ruse. Toro and I did indeed make those tracks, only moments ago. However, I have a powerful magic, capable of teleporting us both. Where did we go, you ask? Why, Hyrule Castle, of course. And someone is with us. You know her very well. If you want to see her live, you will come alone to Hyrule Castle and face me. If you do not, Zelda will die.' With that, the voice was gone. I saw the horrified look on Link's face. "What's wrong, Link?"

"Zelda! He's going to... I need to stop him."

"All right, let's go."

"No, Joran. He'll kill her if you come with me. You should just go back home."

"What? To have you walk into a trap? No. I won't abandon you, Link." Link relented. "All right. Just make sure you stay hidden. We'll have to go on foot." As we went, I took a chance and talked to Link when we took a rest. "Link, do you love Zelda?"

"What? What has that got to do with anything?"

"Well, the way you speak of her makes it clear that you have feelings for her."

"Of course I do, Joran. Ever since the king knighted me, I've made frequent visits with her. I love being around her, and the king keeps joking about us getting married. I wish she had the same feelings for me as I have for her. But, she could never love me. I'm just a peastant to her. She is a princess, nearly a goddess. She deserves better than me."

"Link, stop that. I've seen you two together before. She loves you, too. I just know it."

"How do know this?"

"Sorry, Link. I promised." Zelda and I had had a conversation about Link not that long before these events. She confided in me that she did indeed love Link, but feared that he could never love her, feeling inadaquate in her presence. She was right, but only about Link's feeling of inadaquacy. Not his love. "We should get going, Link." He agreed to this and we kept moving.

I stayed well out of sight. Keeping to the shadows so no one would notice me. We finally reached the castle. "All right, Joran. Stay close, but keep hidden, like you've been doing." I nodded and hid in every nook and cranny I could find along the way. Dark Link, for whatever reason, was too preoccupied to take a look in Link's mind. He would've seen that I was close at hand. We got to the top of that same tower where Link had battled Ganondorf so long ago. Link was about to enter the room when I stopped him. "Know this, Link. I'm here to aid you. Keep on your guard. That scum, Toro, is bound to be lying in wait for you. Keep safe, my friend."

"Yes. You as well, Joran." He then stepped inside. I snuck in behind him and hid behind a pillar. "Ah, Link. You've come. And alone, I see. I've also kept my promise." He stepped aside and revealed Zelda, sitting unconcious on the throne. She was alive, but had a magic barrier around her. "Let her go, Dark Link."

"Only if you can best me again, Hero. Draw your sword."

"Why must we do this, brother? You and I are of the same blood. Why can't you see the good, and end this madness?"

Olan's eyes opened in shock.

"Brother? You're not my brother, I'm just..." He suddenly had that same flashback again. He saw his brother's face once more, and cried out.

"It is you! You, who abandoned me to be carried off by strangers! Then, leaving me for dead! You shall feel the wrath of my full power! I'll get my revenge!"

A man suddenly stepped out of the darkness and took hold of Link. Before I could react, Dark Link let fly a ball of magic, pinning Link to the ground.

"Olan, don't do this!" Link cried.

"You dare to call me by that name? You and mother abandoned me. I'll show you what punishment you get for that!"

Dark Link drew his sword, and raised it above his head. I leapt out of the shadows and headed stright for him. Toro saw me, though.

"Look out, master!" Dark Link saw me and sent out the same magic, and I became pinned to the ground as well.

"So, you broke your promise after all, Link? I expected better of you. And you, Joran is it? You're a fool for trying to stop me. I shall give Toro the pleasure of getting rid of you."

Toro stepped forward, and unsheathed the massive sword from his back.

"Anything to say before I spill your blood?" I just sat there, silently, awaiting my death. "Very well then." I closed my eyes and readied for the blow. I suddenly heard Toro fall roughly to the ground. "Wha-who are you?" he asked, bewildered. The stranger replied with another blow that sent Toro staggering backward, and he fell again. I heard a familiar voice behind me

"Get away from my son." I couldn't believe my ears. It was the farmer who had raised and trained me. His name was Kiel. He always referred to me as his son. "Are you all right, Joran?"

"Don't worry about me, help Link!" He rushed toward Dark Link, knocking him backward.

We were released from his evil power. Link and I exchanged glances, and looked towards our saviour. He was battling with Dark Link.

He would slice this way and that, parry and thrust, causing Dark Link to lose his footing. He was about to strike when I saw Toro raise a dagger, and bury it into Kiel's back.

"No!" I cried. Kiel staggered forward, then backward, and finally collapsed to the ground. Toro and Dark Limk then turned to face us.

"Well, Link. You and you're friend just got lucky. It's funny that you had to rely on a senile old man to save you. You're pathetic." He then gave a maniacle, evil laugh, similar to that of Ganondorf's.

"Oh, by the way, Link. I thought I should mention this to you before you die. When I kill you, I will have your triforce. I will then take Zelda's and use them to revive my master, Ganondorf. We will then rule Hyrule, together, for all eternity."

I had barely been listening. I was looking towards my dying guardian. Feeling an uncontrollable rage, I vowed that, there and then, Toro Beldar would die, with my sword buried deep in his heart. Toro saw the look in my eyes and said

"Bring it on, boy." As Link and Dark Link began their fight, I charged towards Toro. I raised my sword and swung at him. He met my blow with his blade and there was a loud 'clang' as the two blades met. I was in a fury, but managed to channel it into fighting prowess.

Toro swung his massive blade toward my head, I ducked and thrust my sword toward him. I contacted the armour around his leg and pierced it. I heard him cry out in pain and saw blood trickle out of the hole I had made. He sung down with his sword, which I blocked with my shield. However, because of the sheer size of his sword, my shield was knocked out of my hand and slid a few feet away. I had no time to retrive it, though, as Toro swung at me again. I rolled sideways and he missed.

As I leapt up, he lunged forward. Just as I did with Nabooru, I stepped aside and pushed him with my free hand. He temporarily lost his balance, but still managed to swing his sword at me, which conected with my ribs. I was thrown sideways, and felt a gut-wrenching pain in my side. The blow also knocked the wind out of me. I couldn't breathe, as I fell my knees. I then saw Toro walking slowly towards me.

"Foolish boy. You're fighting for the wrong side. Evil is much too strong for you. I thought you a good fighter, but you've rather disappointed me. I expected better than that."

In his vanity and arrogance, Toro did not realize that his talking was allowing me to regain my breath. I waited until he raised his sword above his head, about to strike. As he brought the sword down, I quickly rolled sideways, lunged forward and plunged my sword into his chest, piercing through both armour and flesh. He made only a little groaning sound as my blade enetered his body. He stood there, momentarily, then he crashed to his knees and fell face first to the floor, dead.

"That one's for Kiel."

I then turned and saw Link and Dark Link engaging in a fierce battle. They were both evenly matched, just as they were in the Water Temple. Link knocked Dark Link to the ground, but overstepped himself. He left his chest exposed to Dark Link's sword. Dark Link saw this, and took advantage. Or, he was about to, anyway. He had just drawn his sword back to begin his thrust when his eyes suddenly became filled with pain. He looked to his left and saw my golden blade, buried deep in his chest.

"That's right, Olan. You're finished." I then pulled my sword out of his chest as he fell over onto the ground.

"You haven't beaten me, fool" he said in a hoarse voice. "I'll be back, and war will tear this land apart. Mark my words."

With that, Dark Link fell forward and died right there. Something about him didn't seem right, though. It seemed like his power was still alive, but disembodied. That feeling soon passed, though, and I turned to Link. "Well, friend, it looks like we're done here." Link just kept staring at me, not saying a word. "Link? What's wrong?" He suddenly burst out "What's worng? I'll tell you what's wrong! You killed my brother, Joran! Why would you do this to me?"

"Wait a minute! Link! What's gotten into you? Olan would've killed you. In fact, he almost did. He was also going to kill Zelda. That young man is not worthy to be your brother, Link. He was evil, and was seeking to destroy everything you hold dear. You two may share the same blood, but he was turned long ago, and became what you have spent your life fighting." Link knew I was right, but still became saddened. "You're right, Joran, but... he was still my brother."

"I know, Link. I'm sorry it had to be this way." We suddenly heard a groan from the throne. "Zelda!" Link exclaimed, forgetting all about his recent woes. "Are you all right?"

"Link? What happened? Where am I?"

It's all right, Zelda." I had never heard Link speak in such a loving tone. "What happened to them?" Zelda asked, seeing the dead men on the floor. "Were they going to kill you, Link?"

"Yes. And you, my love."

"Wait, what did you just call me?" Link realized he had just given away his feelings. "I mean..." I couldn't help but laugh. Now was the time to pay him back for making fun of me. "Look who's in love now, Link" I chuckled. I couldn't help but be happy for him, either. Zelda returned the feelings of love toward Link and they embraced. When he was finished, Link turned to me and said "Come on, Joran. Let's head back home."

"Uh.. where is that for you, exactly?" I was alluding to the fact that he travelled so much, that no one really knew where he lived. "Let's just go to Lon Lon ranch, Joran." I was delighted at the fact that I would see Malon again.

"Zelda, would you care to come with us?" I asked.

"Of course. Anything for Link." At this, Link smiled as happy a smile as I'd ever seen. The three of us then walked towards the stairs and began our journey back to Lon Lon Ranch. The peace of Hyrule had returned. The dakness was gone and a new era was to begin. An era of happiness. But,how long would it last? As I said before, Hyrule is full of strange and remarkable tales. All of them are true. We had just completed another. However, in Hyrule, as one tale ends, another begins. There is always something on the horizon. While we thought it was the end, our tale was only just beginning.


End file.
